The study from NPD Group tracks sales of new physical products _ about 50 percent of the total spending. Excluded are sales of used games and rentals as well as digital and social-network spending. The research firm estimates that when including these, Americans spent $989 million on games in August.

Despite the sharp decline, analyst Todd Mitchell called August’s results a “potential bright spot” for video game software. The analyst with Brean Murray Carret noted that it was hardware that dragged on the month, while software sales dipped just 9 percent. New titles, he said, helped boost the year-long video game slump and teased a “possible inflection point.”

“A number of blockbusters are expected to be released in September, which could boost software sales into positive territory for the first time in 2012,” he added.